Soil microbial community variation among different land use types in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China is likely to be caused by anthropogenic activities.

There are various types of land use in the agricultural and pastoral areas of northern China, including natural grassland and artificial grassland, scrub land, forest land and farmland, may change the soil microbial community However, the soil microbial communities in these different land use types remain poorly understood. In this study, we compared soil microbial communities in these five land use types within the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. Our results showed that land use has had a considerable impact on soil bacterial and fungal community structures. Bacterial diversity was highest in shrubland and lowest in natural grassland; fungal diversity was highest in woodland. Microbial network structural complexity also differed significantly among land use types. The lower complexity of artificial grassland and farmland may be a result of the high intensity of anthropogenic activities in these two land-use types, while the higher structural complexity of the shrubland and woodland networks characterised by low-intensity management may be a result of low anthropogenic disturbance. Correlation analysis of soil properties (e.g., soil physicochemical properties, soil nutrients, and microbiomass carbon and nitrogen levels) and soil microbial communities demonstrated that although microbial taxa were correlated to some extent with soil environmental factors, these factors did not sufficiently explain the microbial community differences among land use types. Understanding variability among soil microbial communities within agro-pastoral areas of northern China is critical for determining the most effective land management strategies and conserving microbial diversity at the regional level.

Grazing alters the soil nematode communities in grasslands: A meta-analysis.

Grazing causes great disturbances in grassland ecosystems and may change the abundance, diversity, and ecological function of soil biota. Because of their important role in nutrient cycling and as good environmental indicators, nematodes are very representative soil organisms. However, the mechanisms by which grazing intensity, livestock type, duration, and environmental factors (e.g., climate and edaphic factors) affect soil nematodes remain poorly understood. In this study, we collected 1964 paired observations all over the world from 53 studies to clarify the grazing response patterns of soil nematodes and their potential mechanisms. Overall, grazing significantly decreased the abundance of bacterial-feeding (BF) nematodes (-16.54%) and omnivorous-predatory (OP) nematodes (-36.81%), and decreased nematode community diversity indices (Shannon-Weiner index: -4.33%, evenness index: -9.22%, species richness: -5.35%), but had no effect on ecological indices under a global regional scale. The response of soil nematodes to grazing varied by grazing intensity, animals, and duration. Heavy grazing decreased OP nematode abundance, but had no effect on the abundance of other trophic groups, or on diversity or ecological indices. Grazing by small animals had stronger effects than that by large animals and mixed-size animals on BF, fungal-feeding (FF), plant-feeding (PF) and OP nematodes, the Shannon-Wiener index, and the species richness index. The abundance of FF and OP nematodes influenced significantly under short-term grazing. The evenness index decreased significantly under long-term grazing (>10 years). Climate and edaphic factors impacted the effects of grazing on nematode abundance, diversity, and ecological indices. When resources (i.e., rain, heat, and soil nutrients) were abundant, the negative effects of grazing on nematodes were reduced; under sufficiently abundant resources, grazing even had positive effects on soil nematode communities. Thus, the influence of grazing on soil nematode communities is resource-dependent. Our study provides decision makers with grazing strategies based on the resource abundance. Resource-poor areas should have less grazing, while resource-rich areas should have more grazing to conserve soil biodiversity and maintain soil health.

Deciphering anti-benign prostatic hyperplasia potential of liangwanoside II based on metabolite profile characterization combined with targeted network pharmacology.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Metapanax delavayi (Franch.) J.Wen & Frodin (Araliaceae), known as "liang wang cha" in China, has been used to treat prostatitis as herbal tea in folk. Recent research suggested that aqueous extract of Metapanax delavayi leaves showed an advantage in anti-benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) activity, and liangwanoside II was the main component of the active fraction. However, the anti-BPH effect of liangwanosdie II remains to be revealed. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aims to decipher anti-BPH potential of liangwanoside II. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-BPH effect was evaluated by testosterone propionate-induced BPH rats after oral administration of liangwanoside II at the doses of 30, 60 and 120 mg/kg in vivo. Then, the metabolites of liangwanoside II in rats were identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Finally, the targeted network pharmacology combined with experimental verification were explored for the mechanism elucidation in vivo. RESULTS: Liangwanoside II exhibited an anti-BPH effect through reducing the weight of the prostate, prostate index and serum prostatic acid phosphatase level, and improving the prostate tissue morphology in BPH rats. Further, 16 metabolites of liangwanoside II in vivo were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis, in which the prototype compound and 4 metabolites, such as liangwanoside I and serratagenic acid could be absorbed in the plasma and then penetrate the blood-prostate barrier. Then, followed by the targeted network pharmacology and experimental verification, we found that liangwanoside II and its metabolites could jointly involve in the inhibition of the inflammation reaction and hormone imbalance, thus reducing oxidative stress damage, and restoring the balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis, which contributed to the anti-BPH effect of liangwanoside II. CONCLUSION: The anti-BPH potential of liangwanoside II was revealed using metabolite profile characterization combined with targeted network pharmacology, providing new insight into the development and utilization of liangwanoside II.

Bioactive constituents from the leaves of Metapanax delavayi with anti-benign prostatic hyperplasia activities.

In the course of our continuing search for biologically active compounds from medicinal sources, we further investigated the aqueous extract of Metapanax delavayi (Franch.) J. Wen & Frodin (Araliaceae) leaves. Five undescribed terpene glycosides, liangwanosides B-F referring to two megastigmane glycosides, one monoterpene glycoside, and two sesquiterpene glycosides, together with seven known compounds were isolated. Their chemical structures were elucidated by detailed spectroscopy (1D/2D NMR), HRESIMS data analysis, hydrolysis, and comparison of experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. The biological evaluation of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) inhibition revealed that some compounds, including liangwanosides B-D, benzyl-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 â†’ 6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside, methyl 2-O-ß-D-glucopyranosylbenzoate, and 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against BPH-1 cells with inhibition rates ranging from 13.8% to 23.8% at 100 µM. Among them, liangwanoside B showed the comparable effect to positive control (finasteride) at 100 µM, and its possible mechanism was then explored by molecular docking studies.

Chemical profiles of the active fraction from Prinsepia utilis Royle leaves and its anti-benign prostatic hyperplasia evaluation in animal models.

BACKGROUND: The Prinsepia utilis Royle leaves (P. utilis) is a folk herb used for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) control by ethnic minorities for centuries in China with rich in resources. Our previous studies have confirmed the anti-BPH effect of its water extract (QCJ) and the active fraction (Fr. B) separated from the QCJ by animal test. The Fr. B from P. utilis should be a potential candidate for BPH control. METHODS: In this study, the chemical ingredients of Fr. B were identified by UPLC-QTOF-MS, and quantified by HPLC. Murine animal models were divided into 8 groups, Sham rats, BPH rats, BPH rats administered with finasteride (1 mg/kg), BPH rats administered with Pule'an (460 mg/kg), BPH rats administered with low, high dosage of QCJ (860 mg/kg, 2580 mg/kg respectively), BPH rats administered with low, high dosage of Fr. B (160 mg/kg, 480 mg/kg respectively). The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the prostate tissue of rats was tested, and serum levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and total superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA) in prostate homogenate were measured. One-way ANOVA followed by LSD was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The BPH rats treated by Fr. B exhibited significant reductions of VEGF and MDA levels, as well as significant increases of SOD, GSH-Px and CAT in the prostate tissue after 28 day administration (P < 0.05). Moreover, Fr. B significantly reduced DHT, DHT/E2 ratio, TNF-α, while increased T levels in serum of BPH rats (P < 0.05). UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis revealed 10 flavonoids as the key constituents of this fraction, which accounted for 54.96% of all substance of Fr. B. The relative contents of compound 1, 2 are 11.1%, 13% in Fr. B respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that the Fr. B obtained from P. utilis alleviated the symptoms of BPH rats through multiple mechanisms including reduction of DHT/E2 ratio, inhibition of growth factor, anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation, in which flavonoids might be the key constituents. It supported the hypothesis that the Fr. B should be further explored as a candidate for BPH patients.

Tunicyclin L, a cyclic peptide from Psammosilene tunicoides: Isolation, characterization, conformational studies and biological activity.

Tunicyclin L (1), cyclo (L-Pro1-Gly-L-Phe1-L-Ile-L-Pro2-L-Phe2 -L-Thr-L-Val), and 11 known compounds, including one cyclic peptide (2), eight carboline alkaloids (3 -10), one lignan (11) and one flavone (12) were isolated from the roots of Psammosilene tunicoides. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive UV, IR, MS, NMR spectroscopic data and comparison with literature. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction results revealed the stereochemistry of the 24-membered ring cyclic peptide (1). Among these known compounds, compound 6 was found to be a new natural product, and compounds 3, 4, and 11 were isolated from this plant for the first time. Five compounds (1, 3, 4, 7, and 9) showed moderate anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity.

Chemical components from Metapanax delavayi leaves and their anti-BHP activities in vitro.

Two previously undescribed oleanane-type triterpene saponins named liangwanosides III-IV, and one undescribed eudesmane glycoside named liangwanoside A were obtained from the leaves of Metapanax delavayi, a Chinese folk medicine especially for tea used in Yunnan, together with four known compounds. The structures of the undescribed compounds were determined by detailed spectroscopic (1D/2D NMR), HR-ESI-MS data analysis and chemical evidence. The activity against human benign prostate hyperplasia was evaluated with BPH-1 cell line. Most of the isolated compounds showed moderate inhibitory activity against BPH-1 cells at 100 and 50 µM in vitro.

In-chain functionalized polymer induced assembly of nanoparticles: toward materials with tailored properties.

We adopt a molecular dynamics simulation method to describe the self-assembly of nanoparticles in in-chain functionalized polymers. In such novel systems, the organization of nanoparticles is governed by the interplay of the intrinsic attractions between nanoparticles and the entropy of redistributing the functionalized polymers that are adsorbed on the nanoparticles. Our simulations also demonstrate that this approach to nanoparticle assembly enables considerable control for the creation of polymer nanocomposites with tailored properties.